


Life is Strange One Shots

by PerriesFreckles



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Absolutely no smut, Also I write tons of Pricefield, But also excessively sad, Censored cursing, Comedy, Cute, Cutesy, Death, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fun, I can assure you that there will be tears., I tend to write sad or fluffy, Mentions of homophobia, Might tear you apart with feels?, Nervousness, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sad, Sadness, Ship, Some Canon, Some headcanon, These can get excessively cute, Underage Drinking, be prepared, but only when I'm struggling for ideas, happiness, lots of gay, might be sad?, some AU, sometimes I'll just write from OTP prompts, there is no in between
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2016-10-05
Packaged: 2018-08-10 14:27:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7848649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerriesFreckles/pseuds/PerriesFreckles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a collection of one shots I write in my free time.</p><p>Because, let's face it. I'm general trash. I'm LIS trash. I'm ship trash. And I'm LIS ship trash.</p><p>But also, feel free to request something. No smut.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ice Cream Date

Max was walking hand-in-hand with Chloe, her fingers comfortably interlocked between her now-girlfriend's paler ones. Max's facial expression was almost pure happiness, a hint of nervousness impeding it. She began to lightly nibble her lower lip, fingers twitching just slightly as they neared their destination, a clear sign that Max was, in fact, more nervous than she was letting on.

Chloe, however, seemed twice as nervous, if not more, which was surprising. Chloe was usually calm and collected, but not this time. She was taking Max to get ice cream. And, decidedly, the prospect of taking Max on date, although she had done it a few times previous, was nerve-wracking. Chloe was the one who had planned this whole date, which is most likely why she was so nervous. It had to be perfect, because to Chloe, Max was as close to perfect as she'd get.

The rocky road they were walking on was heated from the sunlight raining down on it, which would've made it harder to travel down if they weren't wearing tennis shoes and sneakers. Regardless, the heat almost seemed to climb up their bodies, making them a lot warmer than they should've been.

The ice cream shop that Chloe was taking Max to was a multicolored pastel building, covered in various shades of light greens, blues, pinks and purples that made the place seem more inviting, despite the chipping paint and faulty neon signs. One was a standard 'OPEN' sign, but the light was malfunctioning and, even in broad daylight, endlessly flickering. The rest were arrows or or ice cream cones, all suffering similar problems.

The place seemed to exude childishness, however, which brought a small, nearly unnoticeable smile to Max's drying lips. Her tongue swiped across both, temporarily solving the issue so it wouldn't bother her as much. This ice cream place seemed very cutesy to Max, and it brought back memories of her childhood home and the many colors her room had been painted over the thirteen or so years she had lived there.

It was when Chloe glanced over at Max that she knew she had made a good choice. Her smile showed a lot of happiness, despite its size. In that moment, Chloe's thumb rubbed over the part of Max's hand that it could reach, which brought an even bigger smile to Max's face, and, subsequently, turned her attention to her blue-haired girlfriend.

"Are you excited?" Chloe asked Max, hopefulness in her tone as they get to the glass doors that welcome them into the ice cream shop. Her free hand reached out to open the door for Max, a sheepish smile on her face.

"Definitely! This place really reminds me of my childhood." Max nodded excitedly, walking inside. "Thank you." She was thanking Chloe for many reasons, so there was absolutely no point in explaining. "I'll go find us a table."

And with that, Max headed off to find a nice booth, though the quality of the seats was hardly 'nice'. The seats were made out of that fake pleather material that cracked easily and, on a hot summers day, would have your thighs stuck to it fairly fast. Max sat her bag down on the seat and looked at it. It was a regular booth, positioned by a window, so they had a view to admire if they weren't staring at each other with dopey looks the whole time.

Max thought she had made a good decision, despite the questionable stains on the table that was, presumably, white at one point, though it was more of a yellowish off-white now. She decided not to dwell on her thoughts as to what that oddly-colored stain was, instead heading back over to the counter, where Chloe was standing and waiting.

"Looks like you found your way back." Chloe joked, wrapping an arm around Max's waist. She was fine for now, but the second they sat down at the booth, it would be a different story. She'd turn into a different person, one just as shy and awkward as Max. Chloe's eyes drifted from Max's face over to the pimple-covered teenage girl standing behind the counter, eyeing the pair expectantly.

Chloe's eyes then scan over the small selection of ice cream flavors, her gaze lingering on the labels in front of each, her free hand resting on her chin, fingers grazing over her skin as she thought. When she finally decided, she looked down at Max for a moment before looking back at the teenage girl and giving her order.

"Two scoops of chocolate please." And then, a moment later, she added "in a cup."

Max ended up ordering the same, a dorky smile on her face as she rocked back and forth on her heels, bubbling with excitement. The excitement had overpowered her nervousness, it seemed, because as soon as the two girls had their ice cream in hand, Max nearly dragged Chloe to the booth she had picked. They ended up sitting beside one another, and, at first, they just calmly ate their ice cream. Then Max decided that was boring, and put some of her ice cream on Chloe's nose.

"What the f**k, Max?" Chloe asked, laughing at the childish action. Her hand reached up to prod the small, melting blob of chocolate ice cream on her nose, blue eyes crossing to look at it. With a feigned heavy sigh, Chloe took some of her ice cream and smeared it across Max's face.

"You've got a little something. . . Everywhere."

And then, a wonderful laugh bubbled from Max's throat, erupting into a happy chorus of glee and childishness, resulting in a sound that was like music to Chloe's ears. Max's nose scrunched up and her eyes crinkled at the corners, her grin spreading even wider than what should've been possible.

After her laughter dies down, Chloe starts to feel nervous, for no other reason than the fact that she's covered in chocolate ice cream, staring into the blue eyes of someone she held near and dear to her heart. With that thought in her head, she shot out of the booth and grabbed a handful of napkins, wiping off her face as she sat down. Then, tentatively, with napkin in hand, she reached out to wipe the ice cream off of Max's face.

Max started giggling, face happily scrunching up again. She tried to shove Chloe's hand away from her, but ended up letting her wipe her face.

"Thanks." Max responded gratefully, pulling Chloe closer and wrapping her arms around her in a thankful embrace. "What would I do without you?"

"Hm. . . You wouldn't be here." She responded, a bit of a joking tone to her voice. Max nodded against Chloe's chest, humming softly.

She soon pulled away and kept eating her ice cream. When she finished, she stuck her spoon to her nose, giggling like a fool. And then, to make it even sillier, she stuck her tongue out and crossed her eyes, making a goofy sound.

"Oh my god." Chloe laughed, quickly snapping a picture with her phone. "You are _such_ a dork."

Max was quick to respond, studying Chloe's face as she did.

"But I'm _your_ dork. And I always will be."

Hearing that brought a tinge of pink to Chloe's pale cheeks, and she suddenly felt very awkward. She started to fumble with her hands, licking her lips every few moments to make sure that there wasn't a single trace of ice cream around her mouth.

"Y-yeah." She nodded. "Always."

The nervousness was practically dripping from her words, her stuttering causing her face to turn an ever darker shade of red. She figured that the situation couldn't get any more awkward, so she leaned forward and pressed a soft, short kiss to Max's lips. The kiss was over too quick for Max to fully react, but she knew what happened, and subsequently, her face turned red too.

They left the same way they came, hand-in-hand, fingers comfortably interlocked, nervous smiles on their faces.


	2. Regret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max regrets her decisions. All of them.

_I can't do this. I can't do this. I just can't._

That was what was running through Max's mind when she was standing on the cliff with Chloe, a gargantuan tornado looming behind them, and the ever-so-familiar lighthouse beside them.

_I won't let her go. Not again. Not ever._

That was the next thing to flood Max's mind as she looked into Chloe's eyes, tears streaming down their faces and mixing with the rain spattering around them.

_I have to do this._

That was the last thing Max thought before she made her decision. Did she regret it? Sometimes. She did what her heart told her was right. But mentally, she wasn't so sure. She couldn't look at Arcadia Bay without wanting to break down where she was and start sobbing, hands tightly clenching her short brown hair and tugging at it, body shaking. She couldn't walk around in the silence without flashing back to the storm, heart racing and mind wandering, leading her places she never wanted to return to.

She spent her time alone, worrying herself to the brink of insanity, her head harshly pounding with a migraine and her heart thumping loudly in her chest from the emotional stress. She was a lot quieter now. She could barely hold a conversation, let alone voice her thoughts to anyone.

 _They wouldn't understand._ She tells herself, rubbing softly at her head.

 _There's no point._ She thinks to herself, walking past someone she might've, at one point, found interesting, but now, can only look down at the ground and massage the cottony material of her t-shirt. The traumatic events of that one week had reduced her to nothing but a quiet shell of her former self, all her thoughts hidden away from the world.

She was even hesitant to take photos now, because all she could think about when she looked at a fresh Polaroid in her hand was the binders in the dark room, stuffed to the brim with cruel pictures of her peers, manipulated and unconscious in drugged stupor. She hated it. That week had ruined her passion, the one hobby she truly loved. She'd have to blink a few times before she could even bring herself to examine her photos, just to make sure she wasn't looking at those pictures of Kate an Rachel, eyes unmoving and expressions grim.

More often than not, she'd sit around wherever she was and bite her lower lip, fiddling with something or other as she blankly looked around at the passing people, wishing she wasn't burdened by her thoughts.

She'd stare out into the sky, watching the sunset some nights, wondering how she was surviving this way. She struggled every single day with her thoughts, all ranging from dark to depressing. Every day, Max would feel increasingly lonely, and became more and more aware of the small things things people did.

She'd notice twitches of fingers and tongues swiping across dry lips. She'd notice idle shifting and eyes darting from person to person. She'd notice little things about someone's tone when the spoke or the way their mouths formed words. She even noticed slight changes in appearance, such as darker eyes or bags beneath them, down to stray hairs that are out of place.

It was a way to occupy her, it seemed. To keep her from thinking about her choices. From worrying if she made the right ones. Ultimately, she was lost. She felt alone and afraid. But that's because she was alone. She missing something important. Because she might've made the wrong choice.

Every day, her thoughts lingered on Chloe and the week the spent together, which left tears in her eyes and a red tinge to her face. She'd think about all the things she did with Chloe, down to those kisses they shared.

_Chloe was my first kiss. She'll always be my first kiss._

It would run through her mind, over and over and over. It still seemed to shock her that's he had the confidence to do that, to kiss her best friend. But she didn't regret it. It brought them closer together. Sometimes, she'd feel like she took Chloe for granted. She always thought that Chloe would be alive just as long as she was. She thought they'd be best friends for the rest of time. And maybe that was true. She had no way of knowing.

Because Chloe was gone. Left behind on that rain-soaked cliff, clinging on to the Max that left her behind. The Max that valued her so much, yet sacrificed her for a town. The Max that loved her. Loved her so much that she would do anything for her. The Max that valued her company, longed for her hugs, and cherished everything they did together.

That Max was still around. That Max regretted her decision. She missed Chloe. She wanted her back. But she couldn't have her back. She brought that upon herself. She lost the one person she cared about with all her heart. But maybe she did the right thing. She'd never know.

She put so many people in pain, including herself. She longed to hear Chloe's voice again. To see her blue hair and stupid smirk. To wrap her arms around her taller frame, pulling her close and never letting go again. But she couldn't. And that's why she cried every day, by herself, in her dorm room, tightly clutching the picture of her and Chloe in their pirate gear.


	3. Cuddles and Joy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just cute, cuddly, fluffy happiness.

Max was comfortable. _So_ comfortable. In fact, she would even go as far as saying she was as comfortable as she'd ever been in her life. And, just to add to that, she was beyond ecstatic.

There was a content smile on her face, which matched well with the sheer bliss sparkling in her blue eyes. Her face was merely inches away from another face, one belonging to Chloe Price, her loving girlfriend and best friend of many years.

She could feel Chloe's hot breath as it fanned across her face, and she could see every small movement of Chloe's features. Like when her nose twitched, or when she licked her lips for a brief moment, preventing them from drying out. Or when her eyes drifted across Max's fade, leaving the dorky brunette photographer with pink stained cheeks, spattered graciously with freckles.

Max loved every moment of it. Chloe's arms were comfortably wrapped around Max's waist, and Max's arms were slung around Chloe's body. Max's head was nearly pressed against Chloe's shoulder, though the two girls were facing one another. Max could hear Chloe's fairly steady heartbeat, and it comforted her, knowing that she had helped to keep Chloe alive.

Their legs were tangled together, and, from time to time, Max's toes would lightly brush Chloe's legs. Max tried to stay as close to Chloe as she could while still being able to see Chloe's face, and she was satisfied with how it was going.

She could see all the happiness in Chloe's features, along with something else. Something unreadable. Something that was always there, lingering behind Chloe's shining blue eyes. Something that Max still couldn't put her finger on. But regardless, it was always there, no matter what.

Max let out a soft, contented sigh, pink lips parting slightly to let the sound escape. She had all but melted in Chloe's arms, stuck in a state of happiness and warmth.

A few moments later, Max could feel light, feathery kisses being peppered along her face, all of them soft and barely there. But she felt them all. She started to hum softly, the tune reminiscent of their childhood, though every hummed note was full of comfort. Max's eyes had fluttered shut by now, and she was allowing the cascade of soft kisses to continue with no intention of stopping it.

Soon enough, they did end, and Max found herself nuzzling her face into the crook of Chloe's neck, the bittersweet aroma of Chloe's breath and that smell she always had, one that smelled faintly of lavender, mostly overpowered by mint, filling her nose.

This is where she was the happiest, the most comfortable, and the most content. In Chloe's arms.


	4. Sleepy Mornings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just more fluffy pricefield. You'll see a lot of fluffy pricefield from me.

  
Max sighed and threw herself into her bed, groaning into her pillow. She felt like going out and doing something, but didn't have a single idea lodged in her brain. She kept her face buried in her pillow until someone barged into her dorm. Max shot up from her bed, brunette brows knitted in confusion as she blinked to fix her vision.

"What's up Mad Max?" The person greeted, just as Max's vision became clear.

Max cocked her head to the side. "Chloe?" She questioned. "The h*ll are you doing here?"

"Can't I come visit my girl—I mean best friend?" Chloe corrected herself, smirking as Max's face flushed red. "You look like a tomato." She laughed, shutting the door behind her and sitting on Max's bed, making herself at home.

Max crossed her arms over her chest, frowning. "Chloe." She whined, slouching a little bit.

"You know I can't resist that face." Chloe warmly smiled at Max, patting the spot on the bed right next to her. Max didn't hesitate to sit in the spot, immediately leaning against Chloe and cracking a small smile. Chloe wrapped her arms around Max, pulling her onto her own lap. She hummed softly, holding Max close to her as she laid back on the bed.

"Why did you _actually_ come to see me?" Max asked quietly, snuggling against Chloe.

"I told you, I wanted to see you." Chloe answered simply, shifting so that the two of them were on their sides, just so she could rest her head on Max's shoulder. She softly and quickly kissed Max's cheek, grinning. Max made a quiet sound, somewhat like a squeak, listening to the bed creak beneath the two of them as Chloe moved again.

Chloe turned her head to look at Max's face, softly saying "You squeaked."

This caused Max to bite her lip and shake her head frantically, denying everything. "No I didn't..." She mumbled.

Chloe chuckled softly, admiring Max. "You're hella cute when you're the color of a tomato." She whispered.

Max turned her head and kissed Chloe's face multiple times, smiling softly. "And you're hella cute all the time."

Chloe refrained from smiling. Her reaction was instead a soft, content sigh. "I'm a good bad influence." She chuckled. "I can't believe you just said hella."

Max shrugged. "It's a fun word."

"Mm." Chloe nudged Max's chin with the tip of her nose. "Max."

"Hm?" Max looked down at Chloe.

"Turn. I want to be able to see your face." She sleepily commanded, loosening her grip on the mousy brunette. She squirmed and turned so she was facing Chloe, and their noses were nearly touching. "That's better." Chloe smiled softly, tightening her grip on Max again.

Max quietly yawned and started messing with Chloe's hair, giggling. "It's so soft.." Chloe didn't say a word. She loved how giggly Max got when she was sleepy. Max eventually fell asleep like that, her hands in Chloe's hair, her nose gently nudging the tip of Chloe's every so often, and her breathing soft and even.

Chloe wasn't content to sleep. She would carefully kiss Max's cheeks just to see them flush pink. She would gently prod Max's stomach, just to see her squirm slightly. She would softly whisper things to Max, just to hear her murmur an unintelligible reply. She eventually gave in and tangled her legs with Max's, falling into a comfortable, dream-filled sleep.

———

Chloe woke up before Max, scrunching up her face as Max's hot breath fanned across her skin.

"Ew. Smells terrible." She commented ever-so-quietly, chuckling inwardly. She carefully removed Max's hands from her hair and scavenged the area behind her, sighing with relief when she felt the familiar fabric of her beanie on her skin.

Chloe moved slightly, flinching when the bed groaned under her weight.

"F**k off, bed! I'm trying to be quiet!" She quietly cursed the bed, shifting so she could comfortably wrap her arms around Max's waist and whisper in her ear.

"Maxine." She cooed. "Time to wake up."

Max groaned and moved around, causing the bed to creak.

"I don't wanna." She mumbled sleepily.

"I'll give you a kiss." Chloe replied, playing with her beanie in her hands, since Max was no longer trapped in her embrace.

"No." Max buried her head in a pillow, swatting at the general area around her, hoping to shut Chloe up.

"Fine." Chloe shrugged, sitting up in the bed and admiring Max's photo wall, crossing her arms over her chest as she did. "No kisses for you."

Max groaned again, starting to wake up.

"Chloe...?" She asked, her voice worn by sleep. She idly glanced around her dorm as she sat up in bed, yawning loudly.

"Yeah Maxi Pad?" Chloe chuckled, rubbing her eyes with her hands briefly.

"Can you carry me to the showers and bring me some clothes and my shower stuff too?" She requested, grabbing at the area in front of Chloe.

Chloe got up from Max's bed and got her some clothes and her shower supplies before walking back to the bed. She picked Max up bridal style and did what she was asked to do. When she got back to Max's dorm, she collapsed on the bed and buried her face in Max's blankets, inhaling the smell.

"Nothing better than seeing my girl in the morning." She mumbled, smiling.


	5. Questioning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some Marshfield fluff. I figured I'd deviate from Pricefield for a little bit.

  
Max spent her Saturday like she usually did, stalking vintage camera sites and studying. She spent most of the day at her desk, and it seemed like she'd be there into the dark hours of the night, that is, if she wasn't interrupted by a few soft knocks on her door.

She grunted softly as she stood from her chair, stretching her tired, sore limbs before calmly ambling to her door and opening it, revealing Kate. A small smile found its way to Max's face, and she looked at Kate's face for a moment.

"Hey Max." Kate greeted, giving a small, short wave at the taller brunette. "Can I come in?" Her brows raised and she seemed like she needed to talk so, of course, Max nodded and moved to the side, allowing her Christian friend into her dorm.

"What's up?" Max asked, facing the door as she pulled it shut before turning to look at Kate, who was now sitting on her bed. Kate seemed more nervous the longer she was sitting on Max's bed, so it was fairly obvious that something was _really_ bothering her. She shifted uncomfortably on the bed, folding her hands in her lap as a small frown formed on her face.

"I-I wanted to talk to you. . . About something. It's been bothering me." She started, looking up to meet Max's gaze. Nodding, Max walked to her bed and sat beside Kate, a soft, slightly concerned expression on her face.

"You can talk to me about anything, Kate."

Max is, of course, very understanding of Kate's nervousness. So she was always very patient with Kate, and would talk to her about absolutely anything that was bothering her.

Kate's response was a short nod, coupled with some hesitation and shifting.

"Recently, I've been. . . Been having some strange feelings. . ." Kate's brows furrowed and she looked at her lap. "And I don't know what to do."

Max tilted her head at Kate. She needed more explanation to help.

"What kind of feelings?"

Such an innocuous question, yet such a loaded one. There was a broad spectrum of answers to that question. And Max knew this. But, luckily, if she f**ked up, she can just raise her right hand and rewind. Though she would try her best to avoid doing that.

"They're not _bad_ feelings. . . At least, I don't think they are. They make me feel warm and jittery, a-and nervous."

Max tentatively rested a hand on Kate's shoulder, hoping to comfort her in some small way. Even still, she needed just a bit more information before she could jump to any conclusions about Kate's feelings.

"Are they feelings _about_ someone?"

To Max's surprise, Kate's face flushed red and she raised her arms to hide it. She was ashamed, that was obvious enough. But _why_?

"A-about a girl. . ." Kate mumbled into the sleeves of her cardigan, causing her words to come out muffled. Max heard her, though. And now she was even more surprised. Her hand didn't move from Kate's shoulder. In fact, she started to rub her thumb across Kate's shoulder, hoping to comfort her more.

"There's nothing wrong with that, Kate." Max's voice was just barely above a whisper now, and there was a sense of care tightly wrapped around her words like a snake.

"B-but there is."

Suddenly, Kate's arms moved from in front of her face and she was looking at Max's face, worry written all over her own.

"M-my family says homosexuality is a sin. . ."

Unintentionally, Max's face was fairly close to Kate's. So close that it could be uncomfortable. She could feel Kate's breath on parts of her face, the heat fanning out before dispersing entirely.

"Kate, do you believe in a God who's welcoming and accepts everyone, or do you believe in the God your family does?"

Max had actually taken it upon herself to learn about Kate's religion so that she didn't offend her accidentally. She knew that different people believed in different Gods.

It's obvious that Kate wasn't expecting that from Max, because she hesitated for a good moment. She had a worried frown on her sweet face, lips parted some. It was almost like she was frozen in place.

"I believe in a God who loves everyone. I believe in a God who doesn't make mistakes." She answered, snapping out of her shocked state. She seemed a little less nervous now.

"Then you shouldn't be worried about what your family thinks. Their opinions don't matter, Kate."

Their faces were still really close. That might explain why Kate's face was still red. It didn't bother Max, though. Nothing really did. Kate's response to Max's statement was another nod, this time, followed by a confession.

"I-I have something I need to tell you," Kate started, hesitating as Max nodded. "I think I. . . I think I like you."

The confession sounded so childish and soft. And it sounded _exactly_ the way Max would expect Kate to say something like this. Max was still taken aback by it though, and she could feel her face flush, the heat creeping across her skin like a spider.

"You mean—?" Max was at a loss for words, and, suddenly, the small space between them seemed so much smaller. She felt like she was suffocating from the nerves and tension. Kate squeaked out a small "yes" and soon enough, her face was even redder than Max's. But it seemed Kate still had something to say.

"C-can I try something?" Once again, her voice came out in a squeak. Max just nodded, (seems to be a recurring action.), and waited. And then, before Max had a chance to react, Kate's lips had pressed against hers and left again. A short peck. Barely noticeable. But Max _most certainly_ noticed it.

Everything seemed to go quiet then, leaving a bit of an awkward air around the two. Max started to feel self-conscious, her gaze moving to look around her decently messy dorm, rather than focus on Kate. There were a couple of shirts and a pair of shorts draped lazily across various parts of her couch, and her desk was a cluttered mess of papers, dark, messy writing scribbled onto them. She had a notebook sitting open on her desk, filled with Mathematics equations, complicated and confusing formulas almost mocking her as her gaze lingered on them.

Her bed wasn't made and the sheets were crumpled at one end of the bed, seeing as they'd been haphazardly shoved to the side when she grumpily and groggily got out of bed that morning. There was still a bit of golden sunlight pouring through her window, covering the room in a yellowish glow, and illuminating Kate's face, which Max was looking at again, in an almost angelic way.

Kate knew very well that Max was staring at her, and it caused her face to stay a bright red. She started to awkwardly fumble with her hands in her lap, almost hesitantly meeting Max's gaze. She blinked a few times, her mouth opening as if she had something to say, though no words ever came out. That is, not for a few minutes, when Kate gathered up some small amount of confidence and broke the silence looming over them.

"I hope I didn't mess something up. . ."

She was basically thinking aloud. It wasn't necessarily addressed toward Max, but it definitely wasn't just meant for Kate herself to hear. And Max hesitated before answering, (yet another recurring action.), a small sigh leaving her lips.

"You didn't."

Those two words caused a sense of relief to wash over Kate's body. She was still very nervous, but she wasn't nervous about _nearly_ as many things. And then, with another burst of confidence, Kate asked another question.

"C-can I try again?"

She looked at Max, hopefullness in her eyes. And Max couldn't turn the face down, whether she wanted to or not. Kate looked like a soft, sweet little puppy. Though Max didn't respond vocally. She nodded briefly, still keeping her gaze on Kate.

That was all Kate needed to see. She took just one of Max's hands in her own and leaned forward, eyes closing as she neared Max's face. She hesitated briefly, just before their lips met again. Max had time to react now, and kissed back, her own eyes fluttering shut.

Kate, in all her adorable shyness, pulled back moments later, shaking some. And while she was sitting hear, Max's dorm door clicked, light from the hall filtering into the room as the door was opened. Kate quickly let go of Max's hand and folded her own hands in her lap again, trying to look less nervous.

"Hey Max, I wanted to talk to you about our Math assign— oh. You seem busy. Sorry." Dana's voice rang out into the otherwise quiet dorm, and she sheepishly smiled. "Didn't mean to intrude. I'll come back later, okay?"

Max nodded, smiling at Dana. "Don't worry about it."

Dana left a few moments later, and everything went quiet again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me how I did with this. And, for anyone wondering, the views on God are my own. I believe in an accepting God.
> 
> But otherwise, I just want to know if I did a good job writing Kate. Thank you guys!


	6. Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prepare yourself. That is all.

Max sighed as she stood from her desk in the Photography classroom, putting on a fake smile for her peers and the new Photography professor, so she didn't have to communicate how she truly felt. She put everything into her bag and moved it to its rightful place on the right side of her back, brushing some stray brown hairs out of her face as she pushed her chair in. She glanced around the classroom, still donning her fake smile.

"Hey Victoria." She greeted the taller, wealthier blonde. They were on much better terms after everything that Max had gone through recently, so Victoria was no stranger to speaking with Max from time to time.

"Oh, hey Max." Victoria offered a small smile to the shorter, mousy brunette. "Are you headed to the dorms?" She questioned, placing her hand on her hip.

"Yeah, I have nowhere to be. Not since.. You know." Max's voice cracked when she spoke, but she ignored it.

"I get it, Max." She sighed. "I may not like you too much, but I'm not a total b*tch. I know it's been tough for you recently."

Max looked down at the ground and bit her lip, trying to regain her fake smile.

"I'm gonna go. Have a good day, Victoria." Max turned toward the door and walked away from Victoria. She was too fast to hear anything else Victoria had to say, and, quite frankly, she didn't want to talk to anyone. She sped through the halls with her head down, ignoring the words people had to say, kind or not.

Max made a beeline for the dormitories, trying to avoid interaction as much as humanly possible. She made it to her dorm quickly, and as soon as she closed the door behind her, her fake smile fell from her face, revealing a blank, somber expression. She sat her bag down and collapsed onto her bed, loudly sighing, a few obscenities escaping from between her lips.

After she had laid down for thirty minutes, she grunted and stood from the bed again, looking around her messy room. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a picture on her desk, one that nearly brought tears to her eyes. She moved to grab it from her desk, examining it carefully. It was a picture from five years prior, the day Chloe's dad died. She couldn't see Chloe anymore, and it was hard, _so_ hard for her. She really missed her best friend, but it would be a while before she got to set eyes on her again.

Before she knew it, her freckle-dusted cheeks were stained and wet, and she was tightly clutching the picture, as if it was keeping her alive. Sobs racked Max's small body, and she had to sit down on the floor to keep from getting hurt. Her thoughts were flooded with images and memories of Chloe, the things they'd been through and the things they still had to do.

All Max wanted to do was hear Chloe's voice again, hear Chloe say her name and tell her everything would be fine and that she'd survive, she'd was strong enough to make it through this, but she couldn't. Chloe couldn't help her through this. There was a void in Max's heart. One that couldn't be filled by anything other than the companionship of her best friend. One that would be empty from now to the day she died, many, many years in the future. She yearned to reach out and hug Chloe, to keep her close, and never, _ever_ let her go. But she couldn't. And the thought of that alone was enough to send another wave of sorrow through Max's body.

She shook with sobs, her eyes shut, picture still held tightly in the hand that wasn't fervently wiping at her cheeks, trying to sweep away the flowing tears, despite the futility. She just wanted Chloe, alive and happy and healthy, by her side, like it used to be. She just wanted to go back to before she ever even _thought_ that Chloe was in that bathroom. She almost wished she didn't know it was Chloe in the bathroom. _Almost_. But if she hadn't known that was Chloe, she would've been _that_ much more upset when she found out Chloe was gone.

There were times where Max swore she saw Chloe, watching over her during the day with a smile on her face. Even more often did Max swear she heard Chloe's voice, whispering to her to never give up, to get through and to be strong for her. Telling her she _would_ be okay, and that, someday in the far future, she'd move on. She'd move on from thinking about her best friend on the daily, wishing that none of this ever happened. She'd move on from the sadness, and forget about everything that happened.

But Max knew she'd never forget. As painful as it was, she'd never let herself forget about how _ecstatic_ she was to be with her best friend, her partner in crime, the only person who _truly_ understood her. She'd never let herself forget about this girl she'd spent so much of her life with. The girl who was her first kiss, regardless of the fact that it was a dare. The girl who wanted the best for her, even though she didn't always act like it. The girl who's love and friendship she didn't _deserve_ after five years of no contact.

Max knew Chloe would want her to be happy, to pursue her photography career, just like Max had talked about during their youth. She knew Chloe would be proud of her if she _did_ get big in the art world for her photography. She knew that, if Chloe was still around, she'd be with Max every step of the way. Max wanted to make Chloe proud, just as much as she wanted to be proud of herself. But at this moment in time, none of that mattered because Max was still lost in her emotions, drowning in the darkness and the pain that came with Chloe's passing.

Max's eyes were surely red and puffy, therefore indicating her pain even more. This had been her routine for at least the past week. She'd fake a smile, make it through school, then break in her dorms. Alone. She held on to her memories of Chloe like they were the only thing keeping her alive. It would be lying to say she hadn't come close to forgetting Chloe's voice for a solid ten minutes. So she made sure to remember every little thing about Chloe, to the best of her abilities. Because she never wanted to forget, or she'd truly be alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I write sad stuff a lot. Hopefully this made you feel some feelings.


	7. Drunk in Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe Victoria was a little too drunk.

Everything around her was swirling and spinning. The room seemed to be hazy, and her vision was fluctuating from blurry to clear. She was _beyond_  wasted. Wasted enough to make some bad decisions that she'd regret in the morning.

Glancing around at all the people grinding on one another and chugging back cups of mysterious liquid, some concoction of the various alcohols in the party's supply, she searched for a familiar face. The music was loudly pumping through the room, and her head began to throb violently, causing her to groan, brows furrowing. It was hindering her search, this headache. It was making it so much harder to see through the seemingly silhouetted bodies, all meshing together in one blurry blob.

She started to stumble her way through the crowd, pushing and shoving people out of the way as needed, spitting angered statements at everyone as she did.

"Move your godd*mned *ss out of my way."

Her tone was laced with hatred and anger, hands in front of her to make a path for her to walk through. She wasn't in the mood to deal with _anyone_ at the time, her wooziness making every thing far worse for her. The flashing lights and throbbing headache were a much bigger hindrance to her now, eyes squinting as she made it through the throng of people and into a slightly less populated section of the party.

Glancing around, she spotted a familiar head of brown hair and made her way over to the brunette, not exactly recognising _just_ how drunk she was.

"Hey Max." She greeted, words slurring and jumbling together as she spoke. Her eyes slowly dragged over Max's body, taking in her outfit, and making Max exceedingly uncomfortable. "You look hot."

Now, obviously, she didn't have the slightest clue of what she was saying, thanks to the alcohol. All she knew was that she wanted to have a little fun before she passed out. So, subsequently, her slim fingers wrapped around Max's arm, a drunken, hazy smile on her face.

Max's brows furrowed with confusion, her cheeks already stained pink with embarrassment from one simple compliment. Granted, this compliment came from Victoria Chase, Queen B*tch of Blackwell, so it was a perfectly normal reaction for her to be confused.

"Victoria, what are you doing?"

Max hadn't consumed any alcoholic substance while she was there, so she was completely sober. She could easily tell that Victoria was drunk out of her mind though, based on the heavy stench of alcohol on her breath, which was fanning across Max's face, since Victoria had inched closer to her, and the distant look in her eyes.

"Having a little fuuunnnn." She slurred, giggling softly. Her face just kept getting closer to Max's, causing Max's cheeks to heat more and more. Victoria moved just a little closer, bumping Max's cute little button nose with her own. Max's breath hitched in the back of her throat, and she strained to look elsewhere, though Victoria's head was blocking most of her view, which made the task increasingly difficult.

Suddenly, Victoria pressed her warm, alcohol soaked lips against Max's, her grip on Max's arm tightening just a bit. Max reacted and kissed back, though a few seconds later she flinched and pulled away, seeing a camera flash in her peripheral.

"Oh my god." The culprit laughed, her voice whiny and annoying, and not the slightest bit affected by alcohol. "Just wait until social media gets ahold of _this_!"

Max was mortified, and Victoria didn't even seemed bothered. It was as if the girl's words went in one of Victoria's ears and came right out of the other one. And, on top of that, Victoria's lips were curved into a lazy, drunken smile. That is, until she realised what just happened. After that, she sobered up immensely, stepping away from Max and leaving a considerable amount of distance between the two.

She glared at the figure, one whom she could only recognize as a random member of the Vortex Club, her death glare almost burning holes into the girl's face. She stepped closer to the girl, visibly seething, fists tightly clenched at her sides.

" _You_." She started, jabbing a finger in the girl's direction. "If you know what's good for you, you won't post that _anywhere_." Her tone was venomous and agitated, her words sharp like knives. "I will _ruin_ you!" Victoria's voice had raised considerably, and it had caught a few partygoers' attention, some snickering at this girl's misfortune. She was subject to the Wrath of Queen Chase.

While Victoria was angrily grilling this girl, Max snuck off, leaving the situation behind her as she looked to find a secluded place to calm herself down. She was bright red from embarrassment, her hands were gross and clammy, and there was sweat beading on her forehead, the drops threatening to fall. She was a mess. An awkward, freckled mess, complete with brown hair and a dorky personality.

She sat down in a chair in a quieter part of the Blackwell Swimming Pool, her heart wildly thumping in her chest, head pounding with anxiety. Nothing on her mind was positive. Every word swimming through her head was viciously attacking her, filling her to the brim with a sense of dread. If Victoria didn't hate her before, she surely would now.

Victoria, at some point, had stopped angrily yelling at the girl, and had instead turned to look for Max, a sense of disappointment covering her like a blanket when she didn't see the smaller brunette where she had left her. So she set off to find the freckled hipster, glaring at anyone who dared to look her way.

She somehow managed to find Max, if only by sheer luck alone. Victoria calmly approached her, her gaze softening some. She put a hand on Max's shoulder, making her jump.

"Oh! H-hey Victoria."

 _D*mn it._ Max thought. Just a few seconds before, her heart wasn't beating rapidly like a drum, and now that Victoria was back, it was up and at it again, thumping loudly. It was then that she noticed that Victoria hadn't responded to Max's all-too-shy greeting.

And then, just as suddenly as it had happened the first time, Victoria's lips were pressed against Max's. And just like the first time, Max kissed back. She was conflicted.

_Is this real? Or is it a result of alcohol? Or, even worse, is it some cruel trick of Victoria's?_

Max just didn't know what to think. But that wouldn't stop her from at least enjoying the moment while it lasted. A few moments later, Victoria pulled back, feeling her head pound harshly. The room started spinning again, and, evidently, she had put too much alcohol into her body, because, a few moments later, she passed out and fell to the floor.

* * *

 

When Victoria woke up, she was in a lot of pain. She looked around at where she was laying, and it was most certainly _not_  her bed. She'd recognize the pattern on the sheets anywhere. She knew she was in Max's room, thanks to her previous excursion into her room, specifically for the reason of pilfering Max's cookies. The room seemed all too quiet, as if it was lacking a certain aggravatingly cute hipster.

And then, to confirm her suspicions, the door to Max's dorm opened, and the resident owner of the dorm stepped in, eyes widening when she noticed Victoria was awake.

"Good morning. . . Er. . . I guess it's afternoon now." Max's voice was soft, because she knew Victoria would be suffering from a mind-numbing headache. That, and she was honestly terrified of Victoria's reaction.

"Why the _f**k_ am I in _your_ room?" Victoria asked, wincing when she moved her head. Her teeth gritted and her brows furrowed, trying to will herself from reacting audibly to the pain.

"You passed out last night a-and I carried you back here s-so I could make sure you were o-okay." Max stammered, starting to regret her decisions. In response, Victoria's expression shifted from confusion to anger to shock.

Victoria grunted quietly, turning her head away from Max, despite the pain it brought her. Surely she hadn't done anything stupid at the party. It's not like she would've—oh god. _Oh god._

Victoria's face started to turn red, causing her to pull the sheets on Max's bed over her face. She knew Max was still watching her; she could feel Max's eyes staring at the back of her head. And that just made it worse.

Victoria figured that she had done something to Max, something to warrant her increasingly nervous behavior. The first thing that came to mind was that she kissed her. But surely she didn't. _Surely_  she was sober enough to recognize that as a bad idea. Surely. She might as well ask.

"Max," she began, addressing the quirky hipster that she had been pining after for such a long time. "Did I kiss you?" She had said it with such confidence. Like it didn't even bother her, the prospect of kissing Max. That's because it didn't. What bothered her was the, more-than-likely, foolish way she had gone about it.

"Twice." Max mumbled, suddenly extremely self-conscious. Her gaze drifted down her own outfit, and she wondered if Victoria regretted kissing her. She wondered if she really _wasn't_  good enough for Victoria Chase, Queen B.

Meanwhile, Victoria had a whole other set of thoughts running rampant through her slightly hazy, painfully pounding mind. The foremost thought being rejection. Victoria was a very confident, independent girl. At least, that's how she fronted. She had crafted a beautifully believable façade, one that had everyone at Blackwell fooled. And she intended to keep it that way.

Although, admittedly, it was an arduous task to complete, especially with her insecurities nipping away at her subconscious every time she did something. Inwardly, she worried that she did everything wrong. She criticized every picture she took, picking it apart until it seemed like a waste of space in her camera. She believed that, in order to make it big in the art world, you had to be tough and cruel. And that wasn't something she could pull off without acting. So, as much as regretted doing it, she responded in a snippy tone. She had a plan to rectify that mistake later, though.

"It didn't mean anything." _It meant a lot._ At least, it did to Victoria. And she planned to prove it later, when her head wasn't singlehandedly trying to ruin her entire life.

 _Stupid godd*mned headache._  She thought, shifting some in Max's bed.

"O-okay." Max squeaked. "Got it. Didn't mean anything." Max shuffled to the bed, holding out a hand. She had two ibuprofen pills for Victoria's headache. "I got something for your head."

Victoria acted reluctant to take the pills, though, in reality, she was very grateful that Max had gotten them for her. She swallowed the pills dry, groaning as she shifted to look at Max.

_This was going to be a long day._

* * *

 

_It was time._

Victoria was really going to do this. She brushed off her clothes, standing in front of the mirror in her room. She had to look good while she was doing this. It was _necessary_.

A few moments later, she got over her nerves and strode over to Max's dorm, letting herself in rather than knocking. With her signature Chase Smirk, she looked directly at Max. She closed the door behind her and walked over to the brunette. Max was sitting at her desk at the time, so Victoria turned her chair so that the doe-like teen was facing her, and, in one swift motion, she leaned down and pressed her lips to Max's.

Max's eyes widened and she sat there for a moment without reacting. And then she kissed back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully I captured Victoria's character well enough. She's a bit difficult for me to write, actually.


	8. I Can't Forget

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Got bored and wrote more sad Pricefield. Hopefully this reads well.

  
Max had adjusted to the constant blur of her vision from the tears in her eyes. She had adjusted to the numb feeling that had become like a blanket, covering her up in a comforting way. She had adjusted to the heavy weight of loneliness that she had bore on her shoulders for weeks. She had accustomed herself to wiping her eyes and faking her smiles around her peers, hiding how she actually felt.

But she hadn't gotten used to having her emotions constantly eat away at her, nagging at the back of her head, lingering on the tip of her tongue, threatening to break out of the confinement of her introversion. She'd never get used to that. She'd never get used to catching a glimpse of blue in the corner of her eye, and for the briefest second, being filled with a sense of hope. Because her mind can't help but believe that there's a possibility that Chloe was still alive. But, much to Max's dismay, it never was Chloe.

Her days were now spent longingly gazing at her dust-coated, abandoned Polaroid, or the pictures she had taken with it. There had been times where she'd reach out, as if she intended to grab it, and then she'd retract, shake her head, and sigh. Every time her fingers brushed across her once-loved Polaroid camera, it was like a shockwave of flashbacks from that week.

The week lost in time. The week that never happened, but at the same time, still happened over and over and over. The week that never existed, but Max could never forget. The _one, single_  week that changed _everything_  for Max.

Her mind would jump back to familiar blue hair and tattooed vines snaking around a pale arm. Back to piercing blue eyes and pink lips turned into a mischievous smirk. Back to stupid, regrettable ideas that, in that one, solitary moment, seemed fun and exciting. Back to adrenaline pumping through veins and wild excitement behind gazes and ragged breathing and cheerful, tired laughter. Back to intangible, yet irreplaceable memories that had made themselves a home in Max's heart.

It would jump back to thoughts of a girl with stormy eyes and a fiery heart, buried six feet under the ground when she had so much of a life to live. Thoughts of a girl who had been with Max from the get-go, pushing her forward and encouraging to live out her dreams. Thoughts of a girl who Max longed to hug, who's voice Max longed to hear in her ears. Thoughts of a girl who Max loved, and would never stop loving.

And it broke her heart to think about her. It just took her, and with one fluid motion, ripped her in half. And then kept on ripping and tearing and clawing and shredding, down to the point where Max didn't have tears left to cry and emotions left to feel.

But the worst of it all was one eight word request, followed by a one word promise.

 

_"And Max Caulfield? Don't you forget about me. . ."_

 

_"Never."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a very emotional game, and I like writing emotional things, so expect a lot of sad pieces.


	9. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some Wardfield fluff, because I figured I'd attempt it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I use the nickname 'Danny' for Dana. If I remember correctly, this is something I picked up from DevinTowerwood.
> 
> I love her writing and no harm is meant by the use of the nickname. I just thought it was super cute.

As soon as Max's vision adjusted to the dark, she grabbed her teddy bear and quietly escaped the seemingly suffocating confines of her small, messy dorm room. Her sock-covered feet quietly padded down the abandoned corridor of the Girls Dormitory, careful not to wake anyone up on the way.

She soon reached the dorm room she was looking for, and as quietly as she could, opened the door with her free hand. Her gaze quickly found the girl she was looking for, and Max could feel herself relax a little bit. She stepped into the room and gingerly shut the door behind her, hesitating briefly before speaking.

"Danny. . .?" She spoke toward her girlfriend, voice soft and scared. She neared Dana's bed, exhaling softly. She couldn't tell if she had caused Dana to stir or not, thanks to the darkness looming over the room.

"Danny?" She tried again, this time much closer to the cheerleader. When Dana began to stir in her bed, Max took it upon her self to gently shake Dana's shoulder, in need of the girl's warm and comforting embrace. A few moments later, Dana's eyes opened, and she found Max amidst the darkness.

"Maxy? Is that you?" Dana blinked a few times, her voice groggy and worn from sleep. She rubbed her eyes, hoping to fix her bleary vision so she could see the girl in front of her more clearly.

"Yeah. . . Can I sleep in here?" Max asked, though it was closer to a squeak than actual speaking. Whatever nightmare Max had woken up from must've really scared her. Of course, Dana scooted back in her bed so there was room for Max, and opened her arms, giving the small brunette ample room to crawl in and make herself cosy.

As soon as Max slipped into Dana's bed, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her, obviously belonging to Dana, and she felt Dana's face in her hair. This wasn't the first time such a thing had occurred, oh no. Dana knew Max well enough to know that a nightmare brought her to crawl into bed with her. And so, she began to whisper comforting things to Max.

"I'm not going anywhere, okay? You're alright."

As Dana spoke, her eyes fluttered shut. She was still incredibly tired, that was for sure. She had every reason to be.

"You'll be okay, I'm right here. I love you."

They fell asleep like that; lulled by Dana's whispers and comforted by their own intermingling body heat.


End file.
